


Code Geass: Lelouch of the Digitalization

by BahamutX



Category: Code Geass, Digimon - All Media Types
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BahamutX/pseuds/BahamutX
Summary: The mysterious creatures of digital origin, and of the power called Geass. What meaning and impact do these things hold to the future of Lelouch and others? And what do they mean to the secrets of their past?
Kudos: 2





	Code Geass: Lelouch of the Digitalization

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any parts of the Code Geass or Digimon franchises.
> 
> A surprising idea to me, not one I would have come up with on my own. But I owe a lot of this to someone I know personally in my life, a close friend who pitched this idea a number of times to me. But I eventually agreed, and here we are now.

_The boy screamed in terror as he fell into the abyss, his cries indistinguishable from his companions. He could them, the three of their figures completely visible despite the lack of any light source save for the distant "hole" that they had fallen through, and one that was rapidly shrinking in size as they increased their distance from it._

_As they fell, he noticed something in the distance. He couldn't make it out from here, but he was beginning to suspect that it might be someone, another person sharing in their fate. They were much to far from their group to be able to tell anything about them, from what they looked like, to whether they were make or female. At this, he looked around him and could see that in another direction there was what looked like two more that seemed to be close together, perhaps one grabbing each other by the hand. In a third direction, he could see two more though they didn't seem to be close together. Looking back up, he could see that there were four more points of light above like the hole that they had fallen through._

_Then, something caught the boys eye, floating past his head. Though the fear of their current circumstance did not fade, the oddity of what he saw did not fail to raise his attention. "Numbers...?" Indeed, for that was exactly what he had seen. A series of zeroes and ones passed him, lined up like a train. How was this possible, the boy wondered. His curiosity almost beat out his terror in that instance. He saw that such things were beginning to appear more frequently and in greater numbers. Eventually, they were practically surrounded by them. He attempted to touch them, though his hands merely passed through as if it wasn't there._

_In the very next moment, something shot upwards from below them. Nine lights, which the boy noted was the same as the number of people that he had seen within this void. And as if confirming his suspicions, the lights split off into different direction. One, another, yet another and then a pair, each flying in the direction of the different people in the distance. Leaving only four grouped together, coming right towards his group. When the lights finally reached them, each one seemed to stop in front of them, floating before them and matching their speeds perfectly to their own descent. It seemed obvious what they wanted, and each of them reached out to grab the light before them, and felt something within their hands._

_It was at that moment that things quickly changed. The darkness that sought to devour them was pierced by a distant light below them. One that grew closer and closer, and in mere moments the blackness that surrounded them was replaced by a whiteness. Now, they could clearly see a sort of vortex fast approaching them, and it was clear to all of them that they were going to fall into it._

_The moment that they passed through it, they all passed out._

* * *

Eyes shot open, and a young man of seventeen awoke from his slumber. Sitting up in his bed, he rubbed his eyes before glancing at the time and turning off his alarm. Still relatively early in the morning, he got out of bed to begin his morning routine. Retrieving his school uniform from closet, he thought back to the dream he had been having before waking up. Yes, he had once again had that same dream. The dream of falling down into an abyss, of a descent into a void with no end in sight. It was something he had had on occasion for several years now, though he couldn't recall when they began. It was always one that caught his attention for how real it felt, as if he had truly experienced it. It wasn't something that should be physically possible in reality, of that much he was certain, but he couldn't deny how vividly he could recall the feeling.

Once fully dressed for his day, he walked over to his desk and procured an object. It was a small trinket, some kind of electronic device. It was shaped almost like a plus sign with rounded corners, with the left corner having an antenna. It had a small screen in a circle with some inscription on it, and three buttons, one on the left of the screen and two on the right. It even had a clip on the back. It was something he had kept for a good few years by now, but not something he knew what it was. It was something that had puzzled him with its origins since as long as he could remember having it. The strange device didn't seem to work, and the the inscription was in some sort of writing he had never seen anywhere else. He recalled once spending hours searching through records to compare it, but not a single character was found in any language he checked. The piece of possible junk had been a source of confusion and headaches for him.

He then clipped it onto his belt, and continued with his routine. Despite everything he thought about the strange piece of tech, he couldn't explain why, but but it did seem to hold some sort of significance for him. It might not work, or do anything at all as far as he could tell, but the idea of getting rid of it was off the table. Almost out of habit, he had kept it with him ever since he could remember suddenly being in possession of it.

His thoughts didn't dwell on the mysterious device long, as per his usual mornings. He had better things to do than spend anymore time wondering what it was, after all. Heading to the kitchen, he began to prepare breakfast for himself and his sister before they both headed off to school for the day. His morning preparations were always simple, a basic meal was more than enough to hold them over until lunch and beyond. His thoughts drifted toward his usual musings as he cracked an egg with a practiced perfection. He thought about his plans for the day, as well as his...future goals, shall we say. Though lost in his thoughts, he completed the meal without a single mistake, his culinary skills honed from years of practice.

Once finished with the meal, he went to complete his final but most important task of his morning. With a light knock at the door, he entered his sister's room. "Good morning, Nunnally." he said with a warm tone and smile.

"Good morning, Lelouch." she replied with an equal amount of warmth. Sitting in her bed, she had just finished dressing herself. Her eyes remained shut, an unfortunate but permanent situation for her.

Lifting her gently from her sitting position and placing her into her nearby wheelchair, her brother, Lelouch, pushed it to their dining area. Such was the usual morning for this brother and sister. As they are their simple yet quite tasty meal, they chatted about what their classes might have in store for them today and any other plans they might have.

None who witnessed this humble morning would possibly suspect the truth of these two. That this boy and his disabled sister hid a surprising truth about their origins. Though they went by the surname of Lamperouge now, their lineage was that of royalty. Long thought dead by the rest of the world, the former Eleventh Prince and seventeenth in line to the throne, Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister Nunnally vi Britannia had live in obscurity for the last seven years.

* * *

It was a dark place, almost no light to illuminate the area. In this darkness, likely somewhere underground, with no signs of people in any direction. The soundings were dilapidated from a lack of any maintenance. The floor was full off cracks and holes, and the walls were not any better. Things within had not been subject to any repair or attempts to maintain them for the past seven years. And in those seven years, time and neglect had taken their toll. Such was the case for many places in Area 11, the former country of Japan. The conquest of the country by the Holy Empire of Britannia had left scars throughout the land that they now controlled.

It was in this area that was not an uncommon type of place here that suddenly, a strange phenomenon began to occur. It started in a small spot on the ground before spreading out. On the surface of the floor, things began to shift and it became what could only be described as "pixelized" by an observing. As if someone had taken a video and used a mosaic filter on the area. The color of the strange occurrence began to change from the color of the floor to a variety of shades, from red or blue or others. The pixels then began to move as the ground opened up and a void would be observed by anyone who might be foolish enough to try and take a look.

And should those people too foolish to not be wary about looking into a strange void appearing in the ground do just that, they would see something. Something rise up from that void and stick its eyes out and look around before leaping out. As it did the strange phenomenon began to close and the ground returned to normal.

* * *

**Chapter 1  
The Day of Awakening**

* * *

It was a day like any other for him. After breakfast, he parted ways with his sister for the day, her being escorted to her middle school classes by their maid, Sayoko. Meanwhile he made his way to the high school building for his own. The school, Ashford Academy, was a rather large campus, with buildings dedicated to both levels of schooling, as well as various clubs for its students to pass the time, and dormitories for students who needed to stay on the school grounds in order to attend.

As he arrived at his classes, he was met by a boy his age with blue hair and a wide grin on his face. "Hows it going, buddy?" he greeted him. The boy in question, Rivalz Cardemonde, was a friend of his, as well his partner in one of his hobbies. "You ready for later?"

"Of course." He didn't need to say more for Lelouch to understand. He knew he could only be referring to their scheduled endeavor, a simple game of chess with money on the line. Gambling was something of a hobby of his. He and Rivalz would both put up money on a game and he would use his well honed chess skills to defeat them. Often, he'd be taking over a losing game and turning things around. Such situations could often be used to his advantage to increase the wager. It was even through such a situation that and Rivalz had met.

"What are you two talking about? You're not planning on more gambling, are you?" a girl of their age asked as she approached them, and next to her was a girl with green hair in braids and glasses. Her name was Shirley Fenette, another friend, and with her, Nina Einstein. "You both are on the Student Council, you shouldn't be doing that stuff!"

"Ah, theres nothing to worry about, Shirley!" Rivalz said, trying to calm her down, though also not listening to her protests. The game was already set, and neither he nor Lelouch had any interest in not going.

Taking his seat, Lelouch glanced out the window boredly. It was a day like any other for him, and tomorrow was sure to be the same. His plans for today were already set, and going through them would go as any other. It was just another day where he would go through his usual motions, nothing different happening. He would go to his classes, go gamble with Rivalz, return to finish classes, and then go to the Student Council meeting for the day with the three of them. And tomorrow would be the same. He wasn't any closer to his objective for the future than he was seven years ago, and he likely wouldn't be any time soon. Instead, he would continue going through the motions of this life he lived.

* * *

He should have gotten in touch with the JLF. There was no way he could count on these terrorists. But he figured beggars can't be choosers, especially not on such short notice. They were the closest and could be quickly mobilized for such an operation. Their two in the truck cabin could even easily pass for Britannian, so their infiltration had gone smoothly. But he was having his doubts when noticed the old Glasgow loaded in with them. Would an outdated machine like that be enough to defend themselves when pursuit began? After all, he wasn't so naive as to believe that they would get away unnoticed. No, what they would be smuggling out of here was far to valuable. But regardless of all his doubts, and there were many, this was the situation he had to work with.

"Hurry, we don't have much time to get in and out." he told them as he ushered them to follow him. The were wary around him, which was understandably so. He was a Britannian, so they . Still, it was fortunate for him that they were after something here already, so a man on the inside was an opportunity to take advantage of. The benefits had outweighed the risk for them, it would seem. He wasn't really sure where they had gotten their intel from, and quite frankly he didn't care. As long as he could use them to get his research out of here, he would be more than willing to let them take the capsule that contained Prince Clovis's prized specimen. It was of no concern to him that they seemed to erroneously be informed that it was poison gas. He didn't even know the full details on why the Third Prince was so interested in that girl inside, and that was one more subject that he didn't care about.

Instructing them on the location, he informed them that he had to retrieve something from his lab. They were understandably not keen on letting him wander around on his own, and he volunteered that if they didn't trust him to just send someone with him to watch him. That would make things the most convenient for him. Unfortunately for him, the one who forced their way into the job was the one he pegged to be the loud and stupid type. The man had brown hair and a bit of stubble on his chin. Reminding himself of his earlier words, "beggars can't be choosers" he reluctantly led the way.

Entering into the lab, his was relieved to see his download of all of his research data had been completed. Removing the hard drive full of data and a usb drive, he placed them in a briefcase and went about the process of preparing his parting gift; a virus. Once he finished his preparations, all traces of his research would be erased, and whatever other havoc it caused in the lab's system wasn't any of his concern anymore. He knew he didn't have much time to do everything, but he should have just enough time. He shouldn't even need to use his contingency plan at this rate.

He then walked over to the only other object of importance in the room, a series of five metal boxes that had already been placed onto a flatbed cart for transportation. Placing his briefcase on top of the boxes, he looked over to his companion who was speaking into his communicator. He didn't catch what was being said. "Hey, give me a hand."

"Why should I? We've got the gas. Its time to get out of here." He held up his gun, making it clear he would shoot him if he became more trouble than he was worth. He just hoped his

He cursed his luck to be stuck dealing with . "No! The boxes are absolutely important! They're... experimental weapons!" In a way, that wasn't a lie. The cargo in there was intended to be used as a weapon. "We need to get these out of here!"

"Why does a Brit like you care, anyway?" He seemed to be growing more suspicious of him by the moment. His firearm was still trained on him.

He had hoped that such a prospect would have caught his attention, but he didn't trust him enough to take his word. "Look, this box contains the fruits of my research. I don't want it used in the way Prince Clovis intends for it to be used." It was the honest answer, the entire reason he had sought out to use even terrorists to get this out of here.

"Show me whats inside those boxes first, and maybe I'll trust you." he threatened, gesturing with his gun for emphasis.

He let out a sigh of frustration. He was hoping to have gotten out of this without it having to come to this, but he had suspected things might come to this. "Fine, I'll-"

He was immediately cut off by a the sharp sound of an alarm. His eyes darted to the computer, and his face went pale as he saw the words informing him that his upload had been halted. Running over to the computer, he saw that it had only completed part of his intended plan. Trying to proceed, he saw that his access had been cut! "Shit, they're onto me!" It was now his worst case scenario. He then turned over to the one with him. "We don't have anymore time. Either shoot me now, or help me get this out of here!"

Fortunately for him, the man chose the former. "FINE! But this doesn't mean I trust you!" And the two pulled the cart along from handles on both sides.

Once they cleared the lab, he pulled something out of his coat; a remote switch. Pressing it, an explosion went off inside of his former lab and then he could hear several more in other locations within the facility. His contingency plan would hopefully create the necessary chaos for him. When he got to the area with the trucks, the others were there waiting for them.

"Damnit Tamaki, what did you do!?" the male who served as the driver of the truck yelled at them.

"Hey, I didn't do anything, Nagata!" the man helping him defended himself. "This crazy Brit wanted to steal this other stuff, said it was weapons or something!"

"Those bombs I set off aren't going to buy us enough time, if you want to live, get moving now!" There was some bickering between the Tamaki and Nagata men, while the girl who was standing next to Nagata eyed him suspiciously. He didn't really care much.

As things proceeded, he heard the sound feet coming from behind them and gunfire followed from the hall. Abandoning him, Tamaki ran to join up with his companions. Tamaki went in a stolen vehicle with the others while Nagata and the girl got into the truck he had seen their Knightmare in, no doubt the one where the capsule had been loaded into. Now that he was on his own, and seeing little choice, he mustered all his strength to push the cart as fast as he could to the nearest truck on standby. Putting the cart onto a lift, he locked it into place and ran to the drivers seat while he raised up. He wasted no time in hotwiring the car. Getting into the seat, his streak of luck ran out as he felt a pain go through he shoulder and saw his windshield crack. Glancing to his shoulder to see his wound, he could see what could only be remarked with a very obvious statement; he had been shot.

Not having any time left, he flipped the switch to close the back and started to drive away. He nearly backed into the guards behind him, but unfortunately he hadn't hit any of them. Speeding out, he saw the main truck barrel through the open gate and he followed behind them. Seeing as they had also abandoned him, he had no obligation to go with them from here on out. He had planned to ditch them at some point anyway. Then again, maybe hiding out with them or in their vicinity for a while wasn't too bad of an idea.

It was then that he noticed that, much to his confusion, he could still hear and feel the wind within his cabin. Glancing in his rearview, he saw the back of it was still open. He cursed his luck once again. It seemed like it had jammed. He wondered the cause, but in the end it was irrelevant. No matter the reason, it was still the situation he was in.

"At least everything is secured..." he grumbled. Still, things weren't looking good for him.

* * *

It was a rather typical bar, one of their most frequent places they played. They were on good terms with the owner, who helped organize their games. Find willing patrons to place a wager on a game was easy enough. The owner would even help him start games if they were running late, a favorite move of his. Taking over games was always to his advantage. The owner skills at chess were only average, and he might find himself easily outmaneuvered. And being in a disadvantageous situation from the start helped in making the opponents take him lightly. And that always proved to be a fatal mistake in these games.

"What have we here? Schoolboys?" he could here a voice remark, and it wasn't hard to figure out whose it was. Entering into the establishment, they were greeted by the owner, relieved that he was off the hook. Looking to the table, he saw his opponent sitting on the opposite end of the table, and around the area were several men dressed in black, undoubtedly the man's bodyguards. The man was dressed in close that even from a distance, he could tell seemed rather expensive. The expression on his face showed confidence and perhaps a bit of boredom.

"Well look at this; a nobleman." Lelouch remarked as he approached the area for playing. His opponent though was not the center of attention, but the state of the game. Already he was analyzing the situation, taking note of the pieces on the board and their positions. The timer had run out, so time would be limited. In his mind, a strategy began to form, taking what he had left to work with and the various factors he would have to deal with.

"I envy you kids these. You have so much time on your hands. Time for regrets." He wasn't to be phased by the man's taunts, not when he was more focused on the board. Judging from his opponent's attitude, he figured the game was already over and all he would need to do was finish things. Which meant he wasn't worrying about what he would do should his favorable position crumble. With just twenty seconds to make a move, someone like this wouldn't have much time to come up with a new strategy. And though his advantage seemed great, he had already identified a point of weakness he could exploit. "Whats your name?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge."

"Woah, now wait a minute! You can't win this one, its impossible! Right?" Rivalz said as he joined in, taking a look at the board. His companion wasn't a novice at the game, he could hold his own against some surprisingly well. He was probably better than the older man he had taken over for. But he supposed a situation like this would be beyond his ability. But not beyond his own, and his friend's worry most likely was helping to bolster the man's overconfidence.

"Rivalz, when do you think we would have to leave in order to make our next class?" His expression remained unchanging, giving off an unflinching, stone-faced look forward. He didn't give either his friend nor his foe any hint as to wait he was thinking. He had settled on his strategy, and if all went well, he had already played out how the game would go in his head.

"Uh, I'd say twenty minutes if we go as fast as we can."

"Then be sure to drive safely." He took his seat, his opponent tapping an ornate nail file impatiently. "I'll need just nine minutes."

"Nine minutes? You only have twenty seconds per move." His nobleman opponent remark, incredulous at the boy's claim.

"Plenty of time." He then reached for his favorite opening move, picking up the black king piece.

"Hm? You start with the king?" The nobleman didn't bother to suppress his laughter, while Lelouch simply flashed him a smile. The nobleman was assured of his own victory after his opponent's very first move. It was a move Rivalz had seen his friend make countless times by now. He wondered if Lelouch did that as a disarming move or tactic to lower their guard or if it held some greater purpose like wasting a turn or something else he couldn't think of. When he had first seen Lelouch make that move, he had thought the guy had to be a complete idiot. But time and again, he had proved his skill. And watching Lelouch play, turning a seemingly lost situation into a decisive victory was always something he enjoyed seeing.

With each successive move from Lelouch, swift and decisive, the situation began to shift. He kept a careful eye on his opponent, watching as his air of confidence slowly but surely began to deteriorate. His assuredness gave way to doubt, and he saw traces of sweat beginning to form on the man's brow. He was trying to keep up his confident aura, but to Lelouch it was just a clear facade now. He watched as his eyes darted around the board, trying to think of his next few moves. He bit his lip as Lelouch reached for his own pieces and quickly moved, not giving him a chance to think. He glanced briefly at Rivalz, keeping track of the time on his watch. It was at the five minute mark that his opponent couldn't hide his stress any longer, and all traces of his facade crumbled away. Truth be told, this was what he enjoyed more than the money. Seeing Britannian nobles squirm, and tearing down their sense of superiority.

And in another three minutes of playing, Lelouch made his last move. "Checkmate." All routes of his opponent's king had been sealed. His opponent's disbelief was all over his face, his mouth hung agape, he even dropped that file he seemed so fond of. He couldn't believe or comprehend what had just transpired. Mere minutes ago, his victory had seemed assured. If he had continued playing against the establishment owner, it likely would have been. But as with all games he took over, all he asked of the man in these circumstances was that they simply played to not lose. From there, he could get a general idea of an opponent's skill from the state of the board afterwards. Whether they toyed with the man or tried to make decisive moves end the game as fast as possible, reading a chess board was easy for him. A skill he was both talented in and honed well against his former siblings. Whether playing against opponents he was better than like Clovis, an equal match like Marrybell, or even trying to surpass Schneizel, his chess skills were something he was proud to have refined with practice.

Collecting their winnings and giving the owner his cut for his part in the hustle, the two boys thanked the owner before taking their leave. Lelouch took one last look at the nobleman still in shock and his bodyguards looking on in their own disbelief before they exited the building. "I love playing against the nobility!" Rivalz exclaimed, beaming from the amount in their haul today. "They always pay out of pride when they lose. By the way, eight minutes and thirty two seconds is a new record for you."

"He also didn't have any time to make his moves." Lelouch stated, not as impressed with his victory. Using the lack of time to his advantage had been the center of his strategy, knowing that at his opponent's skill level they would never be able to form a counterattack if they couldn't have time to think. Gaining momentum from his plays had been easy. His opponent made each move he had predicted, almost as of he had scripted the game himself. With know time to look at the board, he had left him the seemingly obvious moves which only sealed his own fate. "And as far as opponents go, the nobles are tepid. Over-privileged parasites is all they are."

"Well, what if you challenged an Eleven? They're nothing like us Britannians!" Rivalz said, though more as a joke. Though he did wish he could see Lelouch play against people more skilled than their usual opponents. He would love to see what his friend would do against opponents with real skill, not doubting that he would still come out on top.

"Well, it has been ages since I last played Shogi." Lelouch remarked, though his friend seemed confused for a moment before he remembered the country had their own game similar to chess. The only ones he had ever played that game against though were his old friends, Suzaku and Kaguya. Staying in this country when it was still Japan years ago, he had picked up the game after Suzaku, losing once too many to him proclaimed his country's version was much better. Much to the other boy's dismay, he had still defeated him effortlessly. The boy was far too straightforward, all of his moves were very direct with only the basic feints. His younger cousin Kaguya was better at the game, though still not on Lelouch's own level. Even at her own young age, she had a better grasp of the strategy required to play.

He wondered what they had been up to these past seven years since the war. He hadn't seen nor heard from either of them since they separated, taking the Ashford family up on their offer to shelter them. Kaguya was likely with her family, but Suzaku didn't have anyone for himself. His father, the former Prime Minister, took his own life at the end of the war, and he had already been without mother. Was he even still alive, he wondered. The boy had always been tough, so he didn't want to consider that he wasn't. He was sure to have gotten by somehow.

As they exited the building, their was a crowd murmuring, looking up at the large television on the side of a nearby building. On it was footage of a recent terrorist attack the a day ago in Osaka. From the looks of it, a bomb went off on one of the upper floors. It was foolish of the terrorists, thinking random acts of violence would accomplish anything. Actions like these without any thought or purpose behind them would hardly gain them any ground against their occupiers. All they would do would be to serve as propaganda pieces to gain public support for increased military action. Area 11 didn't lack for resistance activities, but it certainly hadn't accomplished anything in the last seven years.

" _We apologize for the delay. Now, his royal highness, Prince Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia, will address the nation._ " a female announcer said.

The screen changed, and Prince Clovis's image came onto the screen. Lelouch narrowed his eyes at the sight of his half brother. " _To all my imperial subjects, including of course, the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the Empire of Britannia!_ " The Prince spoke with a tone one would expect of someone of his standing, though he was clearly hamming it up for the public. Before delivering the next part of what was certainly a scripted speech, he clutched his chest over his heart for dramatic effect. His brother always had been one for such theatrics. " _Do you not se my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest, only to be torn apart! The remnants are filled with rage and sadness! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one, a virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all! Now then everyone, I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice in the line of duty._ "

" _A moment of silence, please._ "

Having ignored the spectacle, Lelouch and Rivalz arrived at where the latter's bike was parked. Lelouch paying the parking fee, a meager two Pounds. "Well, aren't ya gonna join in?" Rivalz questioned, though already standing at his motorcycle's seat.

"Aren't you?"

"Nah, its kinda embarrassing." he replied sheepishly.

"And I agree with you." Lelouch spoke with a flippant and uncaring tone. "Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back to life, now will it?" He had, after all, seen enough of his share of death in his relatively short life already, and no amount of crying was going to bring back those people. People like his mother...

"Dang, thats pretty dark, buddy." Rivalz said as he put his goggles on, though speaking in a tone that indicated he didn't necessarily disprove of his friend's attitude, even if he did share one hundred percent of the opinion.

"Its all about self-satisfaction, really. It doesn't matter how hard you try. You can't do it." He then turned back to the large monitor one last time. "Theres no way that you can change the world."

* * *

"You were magnificent, Your Highness!" A woman, one of many in the crowd, complimented the prince. "One would never guess that you were attending a party while doing that!"

"As Viceroy, I'm the marquee actor of Area 11, after all." Clovis stated as two of his attendants helped remove his ceremonial cape and take it away.

"Oh my, you're so self-confidant!"

"Its all in the performance." He adjusted his handkerchief with one hand delicately. "Since the media want a charismatic prince, I give them one."

"Untrue! Prince Clovis, our key purpose in life is to support and assist your reign in any way we can!" a man said, undoubtedly someone from he media himself.

One man stood off to the side, not partaking in the party going on. Instead he held open and read through a file, the script he had written for today's broadcast and address. "His reign is a pathetic sham." he said, too low for anyone to hear him. This man, Diethard Ried, was a producer and journalist. He cared little for the performance, just a typical run of the mill memorial broadcast. As far as he was concerned, Prince Clovis was rather inept. One of the reasons Area 11 was such a hotbed for terrorist attacks like these was the Third Prince being blind to his own inability to do anything about it. True, the terrorists and resistance hadn't come close to making any gains in the seven years since Britannia conquered this land, but at the same time, Britannia had yet to accomplish anything that could go towards ending such things. He also wasn't nearly as charismatic as he believe himself, owing a lot of his to the scripts he was given and a bit of acting ability. He probably couldn't improvise much on his own should the situation require it. He was little more than a typical dandy in that regard. Not that he cared one way or the other. He would carry out his duties regardless. Though he couldn't help but want for something a little more interesting to cover.

"Y-your Highness!" A voice called out from the hall, and bald man who was on the larger side entered the hall. He was walking, but there was certainly a sense of urgency to his pace.

"Hm? A soldier?" The man, someone of high rank from the looks of it approached the prince. Clovis seemed rather annoyed at the intrusion, while the man spoke to him in a hushed tone. "Guess its going to be another TV appearance for him. Hope its not as dreary." He didn't think much of this, incidents were not uncommon.

"You FOOL!" That got Diethard's attention. What had gone from a mild annoyance to having his party interrupted had given way to clear anger. Whatever this was about, it seemed to be more than just another terrorist attack. Those wouldn't elicit this level of emotion from the Prince. No, he could tell this had to be a matter of great importance to the Viceroy. Maybe something he was personally invested in.

The man, General Bartley Asprius, continued to whisper for the prince. "The police were informed that it was medical equipment. Thats all. If we scramble the army, there will be a record of-"

"Deploy the Royal Guard! The Knightmares as well!" Clovis ordered, his forceful tone now a far cry from the one he had given his speech in earlier. What was stolen, all of it was far too valuable. He would make sure to retrieve everything, no matter the cost.

* * *

Driving down an empty road, Lelouch and Rivalz made their way back to school. Lelouch sat in the motorcycle's sidecar reading a book while his friend was at the bike's helm. True to his word, with how fast he had ended the game before, they had plenty of time to spare.

"That first move you made. Why'd you start with the king?" Rivalz asked suddenly, his curiosity getting the better of him. It was hardly the first time he had seen Lelouch make it, but he still couldn't figure out the significance. It was such an unorthodox move, and he hadn't seen it used anywhere else by anyone but Lelouch.

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" Lelouch stated simply, not looking away from his book.

"Whats with that?" He hadn't expected a response like that. Rather than a game strategy, it sounded more like a philosophical musing or something like that.

"With what?"

"Do you fantasize about running some big company or something like that?"

"No way. Ambitions like that will ruin your health." Not to say he didn't think about leading something. Not a company or corporation, but something big. He also would hesitate to call it fantasizing or imagining. No, they were plans. He was still unsure how he would be able to carry out those plans or the things he would need to be in the situation to carry them out, but he did have ever intention of one day moving forward with those plans.

Before the conversation could continue though, they were cut off by the loud horn of a truck. Said vehicle was coming up fast behind them, and Rivalz panicked as he feared the worst for their lives. In the drivers seat, the driver cursed at them before he decided to make the first upcoming turn that he saw on reflex, despite the protests of the girl in the passenger seat who could see where that path led. Driving right over the traffic cones and through the lowered barrier. At the speed it was going, it was unable to stop itself from crashing into the building that was currently under construction.

"Uh, was that our fault?" Rivalz asked as he pulled the bike over, looking down at the scene of the accident.

"I don't think so." Lelouch stated flatly. They had been observing all of the traffic laws, while the big vehicle had been going much faster than it should have. Getting out of his seat in the sidecar, Lelouch took off his helmet, he walked over to the side to get a better view of the incident. As he did, he thought he could see some kind of light coming from the truck, small sources that seemed almost like fireflies. Unseen by him, the device clipped to his belt briefly lit up, its screen flickering quickly before returning to its inactive state.

Beside him, he heard Rivalz talk about damage the bike had suffered, but Lelouch paid him little attention right now, to intrigued and confused by what he had seen. Taking off the protective glasses he wore, he looked for any signs of the strange lights but saw nothing. He then heard more voices, and looked to other levels around him and saw people gathering to see what all the ruckus was. Some voiced guesses on what had transpired while others took photos or videos with their phones. Honestly, right now he felt everyone who was just standing by and watching the spectacle were idiots. They were content to just spectate from afar than actually do anything about this.

Well, he wasn't going to be like those people. Tossing his helmet into the sidecar, he jogged down to the site of the accident, ignoring Rivalz calling out to him about possibly being late. First trying to check the cabin, the doors were blocked by debris from the damage they had caused. "Hey! Anyone all right in there?" he called out as he tried to move the debris, but to no avail with his physical capabilities. Seeing a ladder on the side of the trailer, he climbed up to the top where the hatch on top had come open.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, the two within were coming to, saved by the timely deployment of their airbags. The girl was the first to gather her bearings, then calling out to her companion. "Nagata! You okay, Nagata?" It took him a few moments, but he seemed to be fine too. Gathering himself, he knew they couldn't dawdle here long.

With Lelouch, hey was at the top of the ladder now, calling into the vehicle. "Can you hear me? Are you okay in there?"

It was then that he felt a sudden, strange sensation. He then thought he could hear a voice, but almost as if it was in his head. " _Its you... Finally, I found-_ " It was cut off before completing the sentence. He wasn't sure what that was, or where that had come from.

It was at that moment that the driver, Nagata, shifted the truck into reverse, and pressed on the peddle to back up as quickly as he could. The sudden motion was so great, it caused Lelouch on top to fall in through the open hatch. He called out, but the driver didn't hear him. He could feel the vehicle moving quickly, going over some bumps here and there. He frantically searched for any form of escape, but there was no ladder within to to get out the way he came in. Only a strange looking capsule and a large object concealed by a tarp. As he went to the capsule to see if he could climb out, he heard the sudden booming voices over a speaker from outside.

" _Stop the vehicle! Surrender now, and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court._ "

" _Stop and surrender at once!_ "

He then heard the sound of gunfire and the truck swerved to avoid it. The gravity if the situation he now found himself in was starting to dawn on him. He had gotten into a real mess, far more dangerous than he could have imagined. It didn't take someone as smart as him to figure out what was going on at this point. He had found himself trapped within the escaping vehicle of terrorist. Looking at the tarp, from the size of it, he could easily figure out it had to be a Knightmare. Even if he found a way out to jump of and somehow not kill himself, he could still end up dead from the gunfire. Or just as bad, get arrested if they caught him. He could try calling for help, but-

It was then that the door to the cabin opened up, and a girl that appeared to be his age walked out. "Try to enter the subway via the Azabu route!" she said as she took off her coat and hat. She was dressed in an odd red and tan getup. She was an attractive looking girl with bright red hair. Seeing her face, he couldn't help but feel he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn't place where. He definitely felt like he should know her from somewhere though.

"Kallen! Why don't we use it here?" the driver called out. Hearing her name stirred further recognition. He had definitely heard that name before.

"Are you crazy!? That would be a bloodbath!" She scolded the driver and he apologized for thinking of it. Pulling at the tarp, she revealed an open cockpit before getting in.

Outside, the VTOLs in pursuit readied aim once more, now ready to move on from warning shots. As it got in closer, the back of the truck began to open, and the Knightmare within, a red Glasgow, fired its Slash Harken and took it out. Leaping out of the moving vehicle, the girl swerved along the road avoiding the enemies fire. Lelouch tried to use that opportunity to escape, but the rear door closed too fast for him to get out. The girl meanwhile fired her Slash Harkens again and took out another VTOL.

Her advantage was not to last though, as it was at that moment that a VTOL Transport flew in to join them. " _The rest of you back off. I'll take this guy._ " its pilot announced over the speakers for all to hear, including the enemy pilot. " _I assume you dug that old relic up from some scrap heap. But an over the hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland!_ " He said as a released his KMF from the transport and dropped down. The girl in the Glasgow tried to strike him as he fell but her Slash Harkens was deflected by the Sutherland's. " _Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of out glorious Emperor!_ " Raising his weapon, he then fired a shot which hit the red machine's arm.

In her own cockpit, Kallen was bracing herself for the worst. The technological difference was bad enough, but she also was losing in the weapons department too. All she had was her Slash Harkens, while the enemy had a full loadout. " _Kallen, we should both split up!_ " Nagata said over their radio. " _We can't both be killed!_ " She wanted to protest and continue to act as his guard here and fulfill her role in the mission. But at this point, sticking together was a liability. The best she could do was keep this enemy Knightmare busy and cover his escape.

As he continued down the road, his route was suddenly blocked off by another Sutherland coming up in front of him. The machine fired a couple shots at the truck, and Nagata too the exit that was still open to him. Inside the cockpit of the Knightmare, the woman piloting it smirked. Leading them on like this was almost too easy. Back with Kallen, she found herself in the misfortunate situation as her Slash Harken had jammed. Cursing her luck, she raised her machine's arm as her opponent charged her with his tonfa deployed. Ejecting her damaged limp forward, it released a cloud of smoke upon its destruction, using it to cover her escape. Though inside the cockpit, her foe was far from worried.

* * *

"Ah ha."

Bartley Asprius was perplexed by the man before him, a bespectacled man with blue hair. The scientist Llyod Asplund was not unknown to him. He leaned forward, getting closer than Bartley's was comfortable with. "What are you doing?" Around them, what forces they could gather were preparing for their upcoming operation. The large G-1 base was being loaded up.

"Looking at a man who blundered. Am I right?" The General was not fond of the bluntness of the man's statement. Standing up straight, he then delivered an analysis of the situation in a more serious tone. "You really screwed up, huh? Terrorists came along and stole whatever it was you and Prince Clovis were working on. Retrieving it is simple, but you want retribution and to wipe out the whole group with them. Let the truck go, and you can find their hideout, too." He then turned around to his assistant, a woman by the name of Cecile Croomy. "Congratulations! Your reasoning was spot on!" he said to her excitedly.

"Oh, um, it was nothing. I just thought the chase on the road went a little strange." Cecile replied.

"Thats enough. Just what is it you two want?" Bartley demanded, wanting to put an end to this exchange as quickly as possible.

"Just offering our services. We'd like to assist." Lloyd told him, confusing Bartley. "Combat data is all I'm interested in.

"Pardon my asking, but what was it that was stolen anyway?" Cecile asked, her tone much more respectful than her boss's.

He was hesitant, but decided he would tell them the cover story. Soldiers were already being briefed on that anyway, and they had already dropped in people to sweep the subways for any trace of the truck. "It was a chemical weapon. Poison gas, in other words." He then looked over to one container in particular that was being loaded onto a track for transport. It was entirely black, and larger than most others.

* * *

Lelouch wasn't sure how long it had been at this point. Felt like it could have been a couple hours at this point. He felt bad for Rivalz, who would have had to have pushed that bike on his own. He wasn't sure whether he would go straight back to school or to some place to get it fixed. Either way, both would have been quite the ordeal with neither close on that road he left him. But at least he wasn't stuck here in this situation like him. He looked at the device in his hand, a communicator device the female terrorist had left in her coat. He placed it in his pocket, intending to use it to get protection from the military if it came down to it.

Driving along the old subway tracks, Nagata had just one arm on the wheel. He had been wounded when the Knightmare had fired on him, shattered glass piercing his side. He had a lot of blood coming out of him from his wound. In his current state and the darkness he drove in, he was unable to see the hole in front of him. Not avoiding, the truck stopped its advance, its tires becoming stuck. Within the back, this had caused damage to the capsule cargo, a spark coming off of a wire. His strength fading, all Nagata could do at this point was hope his comrades could find him in time. As he laid himself down on the seats, he flipped a switch that opened the side door of the truck's trailer.

Coincidentally, it was nearby that the search of one particular had taken him to. Alerted by the noise, he headed in the direction to see the truck. Wasting no time, he reported his discovery to his superiors. He then noticed something in the corner, spotting the unsuspecting Lelouch crouched down near the capsule. Fearing the worst about what someone would do with what he had been told was in the capsule, he wasted no time and ran in to subdue the terrorist.

Seeing his chance to escape, Lelouch stood up and was about to make his break for it when he heard the sound of footsteps and turned around just in time to see a soldier leap forward and spinning, delivering a powerful kick. He barely shielded himself, but was soon pinned down. "Thats enough mindless murder." the soldier said, his lack of patience for the situation coming through in his tone. "Planning to use this poison gas?"

"Wait, I'm not-"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

"Get... get off me!" Lelouch tried to kick him off, but the soldier nimbly avoided it and leaped back. "And if thats poison gas, it was made in Britannia, right? Mindless murder? Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!?"

The soldier hesitated, shocked by the boy before him. Though not by his words, but at the site of his face. The soldier knew the boy before him. He knew the Britannian boy all too well. "Wait, Lelouch." he said, surprising the student by using his name. Reaching up to remove his helmet, he revealed his face, and Lelouch too recognized the one standing before him. "Its me, Suzaku."

Suzaku Kururugi, the boy he had met seven years ago who had become his very first friend. To say Lelouch was shocked to see his dear old friend for the first time in seven years here would be an understatement. "You became a Britannian soldier...?" he questioned. Still though, seeing him at all was a great relief to him.

"Yeah. And what about you? You're-"

"I told you, I'm not here by choice!"

Their reunion was cut short however, as right next to them, the gas capsule began to emit a light. All of the safety locks were coming undone at once, and it was clear what that could mean. Without wasting a single moment, Suzaku ran to Lelouch and forced his gas mask over his face to protect him, and the two fell to the ground as he did. This action also caused something to fall of of each of their possession and slide across the ground. As they both watched on at what was happening, the capsule inside opened up. But what seemed to be inside wasn't a gas, but a liquid. A sphere of some kind of fluid with a girl with long green hair dressed in a restraint suit often seen on prisoners was revealed to be inside. And with its contents released, the fluid holding her like some kind of a bubble came undone and emptied out.

This mysterious girl looked on at them as she slumped forward, her movements restricted by the suit she wore. Doing so, she landed next to the objects that had come off of the persons of Lelouch and Suzaku. They were a pair of identical strange devices, which didn't go unnoticed by the boys.

"So you still kept this after all this time, huh?" Lelouch said as he and Suzaku stood up, pushing away the arm holding the gas mask to his face.

"Look who is talking." Suzaku said as he and his friend picked them up. They were identical, but they could somehow tell which one was whose. Though their reminiscing was very brief as they turned to the girl. The girl who was most certainly _not_ poison gas. Propping her up, they undid the various parts restricting her movements.

"So what is going on here, Suzaku? This girl feels pretty solid for some "poison gas"" Lelouch questioned as he freed up her arms. He had a bad feeling about this. What was thi girl doing in there? Why was it so important that it be covered up with a claim like poison gas? Not even soldiers like Suzaku were being told the truth, probably to keep anyone from opening a capsule that supposedly contained something so dangerous.

"Thats just what we were told in the briefing. I don't-" As he was freeing her legs, he stopped talking as he heard noises. "Hey, careful. Something is coming." He didn't hear the sounds of footsteps, but it definitely sounded like movement. Which sounded contradictory. It wasn't the sound of a vehicle or machine. He could hear things like rocks being knocked around by its movements, so it was definitely going along the ground and not the air. Whatever it was though, it was definitely heading right to them.

To answer his growing questions, whatever he heard suddenly leaped out at them "GERE GERE GERE!" it cried out as it came into view. The two boys present were not sure what to make of the sight before them. It was such a strange image. Its body could only be described as a sort of yellow slime. Despite the body seemingly being made of some kind of goo, it had a large mouth with a row of teeth on the top and bottom with a comically large tongue sticking out. Its eyes were at the top of its head on stalks. Both Lelouch and Suzaku were stunned by the absurd...thing that had appeared before the. Though they were stunned by seeing it, the creature was however not. It leaped at them, and Lelouch awkwardly avoided it as he pulled the girl, while Suzaku rolled in the opposite direction.

"What the hell is that thing!?"

"How should I know!? I've never seen something like this before either!"

Lelouch pulled the girl to her feet, still in a daze. While she seemed unharmed, whatever they had in there with her seemed to have had some sort of sedative effect on her. Seeing his best course of action to be fleeing, he dragged her with him. The creature went to pursue them, and Suzaku delivered a spinning kick to it. Though it definitely knock the thing away, it seemed the attack had little effect on it. Its body composition being what it was, physical impacts had little effect on it. It merely resumed chasing Lelouch and the girl. Still, he figured he should try to do something about-

Spotlights then lit him up, and a group of soldiers dressed different from him stood at them, and the man clearly the leader of this bunch stepped forward. At the sight of him standing there and seeing the open capsule, he did not look pleased in the slightest. "Private Suzaku Kururugi, report." he demanded. "Why is the capsule open?"

"It was open when I found it, sir!" he lied, concealing Lelouch and the girl from them. He didn't want to make any trouble for his old friend, nor involve him any further in this matter. "When I arrived to investigate, the capsule was already in this state. But sir, theres something-"

"Why aren't you wearing your mask, then?" the officer cut him off, his eyes narrowing.

' _Neither are you._ ' He wasn't sure whats going on, but he couldn't put Lelouch in any danger. "It got knocked off when I encountered a strange creature. It suddenly attacked."

"Oh, and what kind of creature?"

"It was like...living slime. With a big tongue sticking out." He expected to be laughed at, and there was a snicker from a soldier or two. But the man before him didn't seem like he was going to. But even more surprising, he also didn't seem to be angry and accuse him of lying.

"Very well, I'll call it in." he stated simply, and some of his men seemed just as confused as Suzaku. "Get out of here now and go to the G-1 for a debriefing."

He looked at the capsule once more and then down the tunnel. He was about to order his men down that way, when suddenly the cabin of the truck exploded. While he was unharmed from it, the act caused the already worn down ceiling to start to give way and collapse, and he and the other soldiers were forced to flee to avoid being crushed. The downside of this was their attempts at traversing in search of the target was blocked off.

* * *

With Lelouch and the girl, he pulled her along as he ran forward. The creature was not willing to give up, showing its persistence by refusing to give up pursuit. Why it chose him over Suzaku, he didn't know. Maybe it could tell he was the weaker one. Or maybe it was the girl? Was there something about her? Or what it simply that it was a matter of numbers, and two was the more appealing option? Was it hungry and going to eat them? Various thoughts on the circumstance were on his mind. As they moved forward, the girl stumbled and tripped to the ground. Lelouch briefly considered abandoning her and saving himself, but his quashed that thought quickly.

Turning back and helping her up, it didn't take long for the yellow slime monster to catch up to them. Leaping at them, he feared the worst would come to past. What he wasn't expecting was for the girl to reach over for he belt, where his device was stored. As she touched it, a light was emitted from her forehead and a bright light from the device. The strange device that had been inactive for as long as he could remember came to life for the first time in the seven years he had it in his possession. "What on Earth...?" The creature seemed to recoil from the sudden light and covered its eyes.

" _I'm restoring this device._ " He once again heard the voice in his head. " _But more than that, I must ask, do you need power?_ _f I give you power, could you go on?_ " she asked. " _I propose a deal. In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a life. The Power of the King will isolate you. Condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?_ "

As she said this, visions flashed through his mind, but he couldn't seem to make out these images. All images but one. A vision of his father, the Emperor of Britannia.

* * *

As Suzaku headed out of the old subway tunnels on his own, he suddenly heard noises coming from his person. Reaching to where he heard it, he withdrew his own device. Like Lelouch, it was a strange object he couldn't bring himself to get rid of. It hadn't worked for years. That was until just now. Its screen was simply glowing, but it was more than he could ever remember from it. It had seemed broken for years.

And it wasn't just with Suzaku. In locations far from him and Lelouch, outside of the Shinjuku Ghetto where they were currently located, a similar occurrence was taking place. Five of the same devices, in the possession of five more people suddenly found these strange devices they possessed for seven years despite it not doing anything suddenly come to life and their screen glowing.

But a sixth person was much closer to the two boys, within the same general area. In her Glasgow, the girl know as Kallen found herself experiencing the same. She had been cursing her luck and how she had forgotten her communicator in the truck. She had forgotten it in her disguise. She was lucky her Knightmare had the same frequncy already set so she could still get in touch with Ohgi and the others. As she took a break from her predicament, to rest and recover as well as conserve power, she suddenly heard a beeping noise. Reaching to the source, she found it was a strange keepsake she had been in the possession of. A strange electronic device that she had kept for the last seven years.

* * *

As the visions went through his head, he knew that there was only one possible choice. " _Yes! I accept your contact!_ " Lelouch declared. As he said these words, he felt something within his eyes. That was where his new power was. The word he had heard in his mind was Geass, and with this power came knowledge of how to use it.

Standing up, he saw the girl seemed to have recovered, no longer in her daze. Cupped in her hands she still held his device. Removing the suit's cover over her mouth, she spoke up. "That just leaves using this as a beacon to..." her voice trailed off as she held out the object to Lelouch. He knew to take it from her, and as he touched it, a hole seemed to open up before him. It was strange seeing such a sight, a hole in the space. But that is why he saw. At this point, nothing phased him.

The creature pursuing them had recovered, and decided to renew its attack. Charging at them, it leaped up in the air and towards them to-

"BABY FLAME!"

A fireball came out of the hole in space and struck the slime monster, knocking him into the wall. From through the hole then followed an new creature. It was black and resembled a small dinosaur. It stared menacingly at the slime monster, who was not pleased about being stopped. "Unchi! Unchi!" it called out as it pulled out... Lelouch covered his nose, the smell of the excrement was unmistakable. Throwing the things at the dinosaur, it didn't flinch and just burned away the brown globs with another fireball from its mouth.

It then ran towards the creature and struck it with its claw, doing little physical damage, but it knocked him back. Its fighting spirit taking even less damage than its body, the yellow slime merely charged without much delay. The dinosaur avoid the charge and swiped at it with his claw again. Already braced for the impact, in rammed its body into the black one, who slid back accross the ground, but it seemed to have taken little physical damage if at all. Though persistent, the yellow slime seemed weak in comparison. The two engaged in close quaters combat, exchanging blows that did little damage to the other.

Deciding it had enough of this, the black dinosaur delivered a powerful kick to the yellow slime, knocking it into the air. "Baby Flame!" it called out once more and struck the creature with the flame dead center. This caused the creature to become pixelized before simply dispersing and fading away. The black dinosaur turned to face Lelouch, but he felt no fear of it. He knew for certain just looking at him, it meant him no harm. In fact, seeing him gave him a sense of relief and nostalgia. He also wondered how he knew the thing was a him.

"Its good to see you, Lelouch." it said, surprising him that it knew his name. But before he could ask how, the dinosaur got a confused expression as it placed its clawed hand to his mouth in contemplation. "Wait, how do I know you again?"

**Author's Note:**

> And there we go. This was a rather interesting story concept to come up with. Again, credit to a close personal friend who pitched this idea to me and convinced me to right. I most likely wouldn't have tried this idea without them. But I came up with a spin on some things that also made this an interesting idea to work on.
> 
> I followed some beats from canon I felt were necessary, such as adding context to later scenes rather than just assume knowledge of the series proper. I always favor build up than just dropping into the point where everything changes too. While I wanted things to go differently sooner, I lacked the idea for how to do some stuff differently.
> 
> I hope that teasing some of the stuff I did has piqued enough curiosity. There is an air of mystery I was hoping to project, which I hope gets across.


End file.
